UN Warns of Supersized El Niño Impacting Global Economy
The United Nations has warned that an intensifying El Niño event is creating extreme weather conditions globally, with impacts expected to last until February 2027. UN Secretary General António Guterres described the situation as a 'danger zone,' emphasizing the growing risks of floods, droughts, and heatwaves across Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The phenomenon has already disrupted food production in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Indonesia, with severe crop losses reported. In India, weaker monsoons are threatening key crops such as rice and cotton. The energy sector is also at risk due to potential disruptions in hydropower, wind, solar output, oil refining, and mining operations. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sea surface temperatures have been significantly above average—over 2 degrees Celsius higher than normal during July—and subsurface ocean temperatures were more than 8 degrees Celsius warmer. This 'supersized' El Niño is expected to cause widespread economic and social impacts, with global commodity prices likely to be affected.
Topics: El Niño energy extreme weather food supply global impact